𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

The Tories are becoming “the Lib Dems of the right”, Robert Jenrick has declared in a fresh attack on his former party. The Reform UK MP, who defected earlier this month, called on Daily Express readers to get behind Nigel Farage in order to have the best chance of ousting Sir Keir Starmer from 10 Downing Street.

He insisted that backing the Conservatives is a “wasted vote” and risks a “crazy coalition” between Labour, the Greens and the Liberal Democrats. Mr Jenrick said: “You can see from the incredible momentum that Reform now has that the Conservative Party is dead, it’s become irrelevant and is retreating into being the Lib Dems of the right.

“It will only exist in the years to come in rare pockets of affluence in the suburbs of our big cities, it’s not going to be a contender for government ever again.

“So Express readers who like me have been loyal to the Conservative Party for many years, who want to get rid of this failing Labour government, now have to rally behind Nigel Farage and Reform as the only option in the years ahead.”

The Newark MP warned that Kemi Badenoch’s Tories “cannot win the next general election”.

He added: “The choice will be a simple one, it will be between Nigel Farage and Reform or Keir Starmer or whoever replaces him and the Labour Party.

“So anyone in the country who wants to get rid of Starmer and Labour, wants to see a reforming centre-Right government that fixes the country, has to get behind Reform now.

“A vote for the Conservative Party sadly, whether in the May local elections or the general election, is a completely wasted vote and is only more likely to ensure Labour cling on, God forbid, in a crazy coalition with Zack Polanski and Ed Davey.”

Mr Jenrick ruled out the prospect of an electoral deal between the Tories and Reform.

On the risk of splitting the Right-wing vote, the former immigration minister added: “The way to avoid that is for all Conservative voters to support Reform as the only way now to get rid of Labour and ensure there is a centre-Right government in this country that is able to get on and fix things for everyone. The Right has united and it’s united behind Reform.”

His comments come after Suella Braverman this week became the latest Tory big beast to jump ship to Reform at a rally alongside Mr Farage.

The insurgent party is consistently leading national opinion polls, but the Conservatives have seen signs of a slight recovery over the last month.

The latest YouGov poll put Reform in the lead on 25%, Labour second on 21%, the Tories third on 17%, the Greens just behind with 16% and the Lib Dems on 14%.

But Tory Chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: “Reform are a one man band with no solutions to the problems our country faces.

“Those defecting to Reform are doing so for their own narrow personal ambition, because they care more about themselves than they do about the lives of Daily Express readers.

“Only the Conservative Party is serious about cutting spending, tackling the deficit, leaving the European Convention on Human Rights and scrapping the Climate Change Act so that we can ensure a stronger economy and a stronger country.”